Facts and Myths Debunking

AVERE’s Approach to Communication

AVERE aims to explain and facilitate the understanding of the importance of shifting towards a zero-emission transport model, nowadays granted only by the mass electrification of transport.

The content of our communication always starts from the most reliable source, peer-reviewed academic research like the one included in the World Electric Vehicle Journal, and we work towards making this content more and more accessible across our communication channels.

In this way, we are always sure to guarantee the reliability of our information while making it simple and easy to understand for all our audiences.

Debunking Myths About Electromobility

In the spirit of our approach to communication, we also work towards dispelling the most common misconceptions and myths concerning electromobility.

This is we have prepared a repository of online article that provide real fact, figures and insights on important topics concerning different aspect of zero-emission transport.

> Are electric vehicles worse for the environment than internal combustion engines?

In this article, Auke Hoekstra points out the top six errors people make when they criticize electric vehicles. A new ADAC study (the largest German automobile club with 18 million members) makes 5 of the 6 errors.

This article published in Charged, the electric vehicle magazine, debunks a study from the Institute of Economic Research based in Munich and claiming that diesels are cleaner than electric vehicles. It provides a list of studies from several research institutes contradicting this erroneous conclusion.

This article explains why the greenhouse gas emission reductions possible with battery electric vehicles are underestimated in the scientific literature. After putting forward the different causes of this phenomenon, the author provides an example calculation of BEV emissions per g/km.

This study published in 2019 shows that even when electricity is generated from combustion sources, electric vehicles have a net positive impact on air quality and climate change, compared to internal combustion engines.

How much CO2 can electric cars really save compared to diesel and petrol cars? To answer this question the author developed a tool that compiles all the most up-to-date data on CO2 emissions linked to the use of an electric, diesel or petrol car.

In this 16-minutes video, the researcher Auke Hoekstra responds to interview questions and comment on his work on electric cars. The goal of this interview is to debunk fake information about electric vehicles.

This 21-minutes video is an investigation on Bjorn Lomborg’s claims on electric vehicles. By reviewing the sources and the statements of Lomborg’s video, this investigation provides the viewer with scientifically supported data and shows how scientific studies can be distorted.

This short video puts in perspective the criticism regarding the origin of the electricity used to power EVs with the electricity needed to power oil refineries. This aspect is often disregarded as data are not made available by oil companies.

IMPACT OF INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE ON THE ENVIRONMENT

This scientific article highlights that producing, transporting and refining crude oil into fuels accounts for 15 to 40% of the fuel’s life-cycle greenhouse gas emissions. In this paper, the authors provide geographical datasets on the carbon intensity of all major active oil fields globally, and identify drivers of these emissions.

> Are electric vehicles’ batteries bad for the environment?

This paper discusses the GHG emissions linked to the lithium-ion batterie life cycle, from manufacturing to recycling and second life. The analysis is based on several researches assessing the CO2 footprint of the lithium-ion battery value chain.

This research presents a detailed assessment of the environmental impact and economic cost of manufacturing a specific lithium-ion battery chemistry. It outlines the main parameters influencing these two aspects. Among them we find the production volume and the electricity mix powering the factory.

BATTERY CAPACITY

Updated in December 2018, this study published on Maarten Steinbuch’s blog provides data on the degradation of the capacity of a Tesla’s battery over time. Maarten Steinbuch is a Distinguished University Professor from the Eindhoven University of Technology.

BATTERY RECYCLING

Helen Czerski went to Wendeburg in Germany to see if it really is possible to recycle the materials in vehicle batteries.
In this fascinating video we see how this new and rapidly growing industry is developing and coming up with some interesting results.